Lest you think I’m a greedy local foodie, let me explain. When I first moved to Des Moines, I tried to join Blue Gate Farm’s CSA. They were full, as it was late May, so I joined Grinnell Heritage Farm, which, as I’ve told you repeatedly, is pretty amazing. I continued my food friendship with GHF by signing up for a winter share, which has four pickups between now and Christmas. Then a few weeks ago the Blue Gate folks, who I’ve become friendly with through visits at the farmers market, sent me an email letting me know that since I had been on their waiting list and a spot had opened up, I could join their winter CSA. Well, I certainly don’t need two enormous quantities of vegetables, but I do need cheese, eggs and honey which they offer as optional add-ons. So I now have a special membership with them as well. Here’s what I got this week:
Blue Gate share:
1 bottle wildflower honey
a dozen beautiful eggs that I can’t wait to eat since theirs are some of the best I’ve ever had
a chunk of robiola
a container of roasted red pepper chevre from Reicherts Dairy Air (they are neighbors I believe).
Grinnell share:
4 lbs russet potatoes
3-4 lbs bolero carrots (which are super sweet and insanely addictive as far as carrots go)
3-4 lbs red ace beets
2 rutabagas
1 daikon radish (which I promptly sent home with my boyfriend as radishes and I don’t get along)
1 bunch spinach
1 bag loose leaf lettuce
1 bulb German extra hardy garlic
1 enormous head of cabbage
1 bunch collards
2 kabocha squash
6 red onions
1 romanesco cauliflower
I know what you’re thinking: how will one girl ever eat that many potatoes? I surely won’t, but luckily for me, my parents are coming to town for the weekend, so they will be helping me out. I’ll be eating my way through the rest of the produce for the next two weeks, and I’l let you know if I make anything particularly tasty. (Last night I made a vegetable soup, but it was a tad bland, so I’m going to pick up some pesto to eat with the leftovers.)
P.S The red pepper goat cheese was so good that I had to eat it all in two days.
